Local News in Brief : Gunman Flees After Crash Ends Kidnaping
Aman wielding a sawed-off shotgun kidnaped a woman driver and her two passengers, including a small child, but fled when the driver panicked and caused a three-vehicle collision, Burbank police said Wednesday.
The man drove up beside two 35-year-old women and the child, who were sitting in a car in the 200 block of North Hollywood Way about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and asked for directions, Sgt. Chip Rombach said.
The women provided the directions, but the man got out of his car carrying a shotgun, police said. He forced his way into the car and threatened to shoot the 4-year-old if they did not drive him where he ordered, Rombach said.
Minutes later, the driver panicked and attempted to make a U-turn, police said. Two oncoming cars crashed into the women’s vehicle. The man ran back to his vehicle, described only as being dark blue. Rombach said the man was last seen driving south on Hollywood Way.
The identities of the women, one from Los Angeles, the other from Burbank, were not released.
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